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Loretta Devine
Actor
Born August 21, 1949 (73 years)
Loretta Devine was born on August 21, 1949 in Houston, Texas. She graduated from the University of Houston in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama and BrandeisUniversity in 1976 with a MFA in Theater. Devine is a member of The Epsilon Lambda Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She began her career on Broadway starring in Dreamgirls. Minor roles for Devine followed in films such as Little Nikita (1988) and Stanley & Iris (1990). She also appeared in the first season of the TV series A Different World. In 1995, she landed a high-profile role as Gloria Matthews in Waiting to Exhale, joined in the cast by Whitney Houston, Gregory Hines, and Angela Bassett, among others. The role earned her an NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress, as did her next movie, The Preacher's Wife, her second movie with Houston and Hines. In 2000, Devine took on the role of impassioned high school teacher Marla Hendricks on the Fox TV drama Boston Public. Devine won three more Image Awards for her work in the series. She also continued to work in film, playing prominent roles in Urban Legend, Urban Legends: Final Cut, and I Am Sam. Devine earned yet another Image Award nomination and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her work in the 2004 film Woman Thou Art Loosed. She also appeared in the 2005 Academy Awards Best Picture winning film Crash. She also plays Rochelle's mother, Maxine on the sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris. In 2007, she appeared in This Christmas, co-starring Delroy Lindo, Mekhi Phifer, and Regina King. Devine also appeared in Grey's Anatomy as Adele Webber. She played Patti on Eli Stone, an ABC television series which began airing in 2008 an in 2009, Devine starred in the TV series Cold Case. Most recently she can be seen in Lottery Ticket (2010), For Colored Girls (2010), Death at a Funeral and Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011).
Filmography
| 2022 | Mack & Rita · as Sharon |
| 2021 | The Starling · as Velma |
| 2021 | Queen Bees · as Sally |
| 2021 | Teenage Euthanasia (TV Series) · as God |
| 2021 | Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem (TV Series) · as Angela |
| 2021 | Christmas Déjà Vu · as actor |
| 2021 | Christmas in Harmony · as Mama |
| 2020 | Always and Forever · as Elda |
| 2020 | P-Valley (TV Series) · as Ernestine |
| 2020 | Cherish the Day (TV Series) · as Loretta Devine |
| 2020 | Spell · as Eloise |
| 2020 | Game On! A Comedy Crossover Event (TV Series) · as Amelia 'M'Dear' McKellan |
| 2020 | Connecting... (TV Series) · as Dayleen |
| 2019 | Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror · as Unknown |
| 2019 | The Trap · as Mama Jay |
| 2019 | Family Reunion (TV Series) · as M'Dear |
| 2019 | A Black Lady Sketch Show (TV Series) · as Marrier |
| 2019 | A Sweet Christmas Romance · as Loretta |
| 2019 | A Family Reunion Christmas · as Amelia 'M'Dear' McKellan |
| 2019 | First Day Back · as Superintendent Lola Greene |
| 2018 | Behind the Movement · as Jo Ann Robinson |
| 2018 | Sierra Burgess Is a Loser · as Ms. Thomson |
| 2018 | Jingle Belle · as Emory Simons |
| 2018 | Love Is___ (TV Series) · as Rose |
| 2018 | Living Biblically (TV Series) · as Estelle |
| 2017 | Naked · as Carol |
| 2017 | Another Shot · as Mabel Marbury |
| 2017 | Dear White People (TV Series) · as Sorbet |
| 2016 | Norm of the North · as Tamecia (voice) |
| 2016 | Caged No More · as Aggie |
| 2016 | Grandma's House · as Unknown |
| 2016 | Chapter & Verse · as Miss Maddy |
| 2016 | No Regrets · as Ms Carey |
| 2015 | Back to School Mom · as Meghan Graham |
| 2015 | The Carmichael Show (TV Series) · as Cynthia Carmichael |
| 2015 | For the Love of Ruth · as Naomi |
| 2014 | Welcome to Me · as Barb Vaughn |
| 2014 | The Sound and the Fury · as Dilsey |
| 2014 | You're Not You · as Marilyn |
| 2014 | Comeback Dad · as Malinda |
| 2014 | Doc Mcstuffins: A Little Cuddle Goes A Long Way · as Hallie |
| 2014 | The Loud House (TV Series) · as Nana Gayle |
| 2014 | Sirens (2014) (TV Series) · as Hank's Mother |
| 2014 | black-ish (TV Series) · as Lynette |
| 2013 | Khumba · as Mama V (voice) |
| 2013 | Teachers · as Doris |
| 2013 | Turbo FAST (TV Series) · as Lydia |
| 2013 | Being Mary Jane (TV Series) · as Cece |
| 2013 | The Doc Files (TV Series) · as Hallie |
| 2012 | In the Hive · as Mrs. Inez |
| 2012 | Doc McStuffins (TV Series) · as Nurse Hallie (voice) |
| 2012 | The Soul Man (TV Series) · as Della Ballentine |
| 2012 | Sullivan & Son (TV Series) · as Rose |
| 2011 | Madea's Big Happy Family · as Shirley |
| 2011 | Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 · as Delta (voice) |
| 2011 | Jumping the Broom · as Mrs. Taylor |
| 2011 | Reel Black Love · as actor |
| 2011 | State of Georgia (TV Series) · as Honey Dupree |
| 2011 | The Client List (TV Series) · as Georgia Cummings |
| 2010 | Death at a Funeral · as Cynthia |
| 2010 | Lottery Ticket · as Grandma |
| 2010 | For Colored Girls · as Juanita / Green |
| 2010 | Madea's Big Happy Family · as (Mother-in-Law) |
| 2010 | Shake It Up (TV Series) · as Marsha Sanders |
| 2009 | Spring Breakdown · as Dr. Marguerite |
| 2009 | The Cleveland Show (TV Series) · as Shirley |
| 2009 | Party Down (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2009 | Glee (TV Series) · as Sister Mary Constance |
| 2009 | Grey's Anatomy: The Webisodes (TV Series) · as Adele Webber |
| 2009 | My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done · as Miss Roberts |
| 2008 | Beverly Hills Chihuahua · as Delta (voice) |
| 2008 | First Sunday · as Sister Doris |
| 2008 | Eli Stone (TV Series) · as Patti Dellacroix |
| 2007 | Cougar Club · as Dolly |
| 2007 | This Christmas · as Shirley Ann "Ma'Dere" Whitfield |
| 2006 | Dreamgirls · as Jazz Singer |
| 2006 | Dirty Laundry · as Evelyn |
| 2006 | The Game (TV Series) · as Grandma Mack |
| 2006 | Psych (TV Series) · as Melba Birdson |
| 2005 | Everybody Hates Chris (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2005 | Grey's Anatomy (TV Series) · as Adele Webber |
| 2005 | Supernatural (TV Series) · as Missouri Moseley |
| 2005 | King's Ransom · as Miss Gladys |
| 2004 | Crash · as Shaniqua Johnson |
| 2004 | Woman Thou Art Loosed · as Cassey Jordan |
| 2004 | Boston Legal (TV Series) · as Judge Victoria Thomson |
| 2003 | Wild Card (TV Series) · as M. Pearl McGuire |
| 2003 | Cold Case (TV Series) · as Chandra Patterson (2009) |
| 2002 | Half & Half (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2001 | I Am Sam · as Margaret Calgrove |
| 2001 | Kingdom Come · as Marguerite Slocumb |
| 2000 | What Women Want · as Flo |
| 2000 | Urban Legends: Final Cut · as Reese |
| 2000 | Freedom Song · as Evelyn Walker |
| 2000 | Punks · as Health Counselor |
| 2000 | Best Actress · as Connie Travers |
| 2000 | Boston Public (TV Series) · as Marla Hendricks |
| 2000 | Strong Medicine (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2000 | Girlfriends (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1999 | The Breaks · as Floria |
| 1999 | Jackie's Back! · as Snookie Tate (Jackie's Childhood Friend) |
| 1999 | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge · as Ruby Dandridge |
| 1999 | Funny Valentines · as Dearie B. |
| 1999 | Family Law (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1999 | The PJs (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1998 | Love Kills · as Sylvia Finkelstein |
| 1998 | Down in the Delta · as Zenia |
| 1998 | Operation Splitsville · as Principal |
| 1998 | Urban Legend · as Reese Wilson |
| 1997 | Hoodlum · as Pigfoot Mary |
| 1997 | Don King: Only in America · as Connie Harper |
| 1997 | The Price of Kissing · as Jackee |
| 1997 | Lover Girl · as Leticia / 'Coco' |
| 1997 | Clover · as Everleen |
| 1997 | Ally McBeal (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1996 | The Preacher's Wife · as Beverly |
| 1996 | Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault · as Miss Mary |
| 1996 | Clueless (TV Series) · as Phyllis Holiday |
| 1996 | Promised Land (TV Series) · as Tonya Hawkins |
| 1996 | Moesha (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1995 | Waiting to Exhale · as Gloria Matthews |
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (TV Series) · as Mother (voice) |
| 1995 | Ned and Stacey (TV Series) · as Mrs. Duncan |
| 1994 | The Hard Truth · as Nichols' Secretary |
| 1994 | Touched by an Angel (TV Series) · as Tonya Hawkins |
| 1993 | Amos & Andrew · as Ula |
| 1993 | The American Clock · as Unknown |
| 1992 | Class Act · as Blade's Mom |
| 1992 | Love & War (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1992 | Picket Fences (TV Series) · as Marla Melrose |
| 1992 | Out All Night (TV Series) · as Crystal |
| 1991 | Livin' Large! · as Nadine Biggs |
| 1991 | Caged Fear · as Judy |
| 1991 | Reasonable Doubts (TV Series) · as Valerie Hall |
| 1991 | Roc (TV Series) · as Cynthia |
| 1990 | Stanley & Iris · as Bertha |
| 1990 | Sugar and Spice (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1989 | Parent Trap III · as Thelma |
| 1988 | Little Nikita · as Verna McLaughlin |
| 1988 | Sticky Fingers · as Diane |
| 1988 | The Murder of Mary Phagan (TV Series) · as Annie Maude Carter |
| 1988 | Murphy Brown (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1987 | A Different World (TV Series) · as Stevie Rallen |
| 1986 | Amen (TV Series) · as Lydia Cummings |
| 1983 | Anna to the Infinite Power · as Mrs. Benson |
| 1971 | Great Performances (TV Series) · as Janine |